Interracial Family Organization

The Stillmans

// October 30th, 2009 // written by Kat Robertson

AUTHOR BIO:

LAURA is a co-founder for Interracial Family Organization and blogs at I Am the Glue.

I remember him showing up to the Spring Dance when I was 15 and he was 16. We had been flirting and I gladly walked out to the parking lot with him, where we kissed for the first time.
I remember riding on the city bus, going to go see the movie “Breakin’” at the theater. He used to show off all his ‘fly’ poppin’ and lockin’ skills to me. I was impressed.

I remember slow dancing, while on our knees, at my sister’s house, right after my first son was born. I was trying to prove that “I Need Love” by LL Cool J was a good song to slow dance to. We had been just sitting around on the floor listening to music.

I remember getting completely trashed on Mad Dog 20/20 and trying to teach his no rhythm girlfriend how to dance in the living room of the apartment that we all shared.

I remember when he and his next girlfriend, who was pregnant, and their 1 year old daughter, came to a dinner party my husband and I were having. My boys were 4 years and 4 months old. We played a mean game of Pictionary-men against women. The men cheated.

I remember 8 years of a few letters and phone calls to keep in touch while I lived many, many states away with my family.

I remember that when I came back home for a family reunion, I looked up the bestest friend I had ever had. He was a single dad and I was a single mom. We reminisced and I invited him to my reunion in the mountains so we could visit some more.

My aunt and my sisters said, “You are going to marry him.” … “You all are insane.” I told them… “He has been my best friend for years.”

I remember that a few months after I moved back, he and I had started going out to dinner and dancing and sending emails and I started to get butterflies when I drove to his house to see him.

“What is that?” I wondered. Can you really fall in love with someone who has been such a close friend for so long?

22 years exactly from the date of our first kiss, he asked me to marry him, on one knee, in a courtyard at the high school where we met each other.

June 30, 2007, he and I stood in front of our children, our families, and our friends, in a park across the street from that high school. I knew, the only person I could EVER grow old with is him.

Who knew Prince Charming had been standing right next to me all those years? When I finally opened my eyes to that possibility, there was this amazing, intelligent, talented, sexy, honorable, hard working, romantic, hilarious man/father/lover/friend. Who is now my husband.

We have 7 of the most unique, interesting, and beautiful (inside and out) children. We are witnessing them, one right after another, transitioning into young adults. It is exciting and scary. We have been able to give them stability, protection, our love, and the perfect example of what we want for them.

We want each of them to find a best friend to spend the rest of their lives with.